Musical instrument



Dec. 13, l932. v. c. ovERToN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed, Jan. .21, 1932 hnlLl 11111/1111 l J/ l o 2Q of a guitar showing the invention embodied y lso Patented Dec. 1932 PATENT OFFICE v"VAILDY C. OVERTON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application tiled January 21, 1932. Serial No. 587,881.

i y This'invention relates to a musical instrument and has particular relation to a novelly `arranged sound post yin said instrument.

' y The invention is particularly applicable to musical instruments of the lute, yiol, or other 'similar type and has been illustrated as apffplicablev to a guitar.V ,v

yAnother object of the invent-ion is to provide in a musical instrument of the character 1,0 described, `a sound post so arranged as to maintain the proper shape of the instrument, to improve the tone thereof and which isvadjustable to vary the quality of the tone. With the above and other objects in View,

theinvention has particular relation to lcertain novel features of construction, arrangemento parts and use, an example` of which is given in this speciication and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, wherein Figurel shows a fragmentary plan` view therein.' i a Figure 2 shows a sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1. n f Figure 3 shows a fragmentary view of rthe ost. a n n o P Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the post bearing, and i v Y Figure 5 shows a plan view of said bearing. In the drawing, the ynumeral ladesignates the body or box of the instrument which may be of any selected contour and the numeral 2 designates the neck havingfthe usual finger board 3 thereon and provided `with strings I l4. At one end the stringsfare` anchored to the metal tail-piece 5 which is turned downwardly over the end of the bodyforming the button 6. At their other ends the strings are attached to the usual pegs mounted in the head `or peg box not shown. C The strings are drawn over the bridge-7 and across the sound hole 8. These strings are under considerable Vtensionand the tension of these ystrings tends to cause the top of the box 1 to y assume a concave form which is injurious to the appearance andthe tone of theinstru- ,ment ,a

In the ends of the box andl forming a part y of the framework thereof are the wooden blocks 9, 10, the latter of which is arranged opposite the inner end of the neck 2.

There is a sound post 12 extending lengthwise through the box and whose outer end 13 is enlarged and is externally threaded and projects beyond thev end of the box 1 and is formed with a lrnurled grip 14. This enlarged end extends through the metal button 6 and is threaded through the wood block 9, and has the inner and outer clamp nuts 15, 16 threaded thereon which clamp against the block 9 and button 6 respectively. The innerend of the post 12 works in a central bearing 17 of the bearing member 18 which is suitably attached to the block 10.

The nut 16 may be loosened and the post 12 turned to increaseor decrease the stress on said post andduring this turning movement the nut 15 will be held against turning by its contact with the block 9 and when adjusted as desired, the clamp nut 16 may then be tightened up to maintain said. adjustment.y The sound post not only serves as a brace to maintain the top of the box in shape but also gives to the instrument an improved tone and by varying the stress on said post the quality of the tone of this instrument may also be varied. V

lf desired the sound post may be equipped with the usual turnbuclrle for the purpose of varying the stress on said post.

V'Vhat I claim is:

y The combination with a musical instrument having a body provided with an inside bearing member on one end wall, said bearing member having a bearing, of a sound post extending lengthwise Vthrough the body one end of which is enlarged and threaded rthrough the other end wall on said body and whose other end works in said bearing, an external grip on the enlarged end of said post and clamp nuts on saidV enlarged end,

clamping opposite sides of the adjacent wall of said body. i

rIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

VALDY C. OVERTON. 

